Expert: Trey McGowan - 3/2/2009

Question
My son in 19. He has always had a tactile aversion. Difficult to hug. Wanted back scratching to be just fingertip circles. Would stand in one place and yell when I vacuumed (3 yrs old). Stopped as soon as I turned it off. Easily upset as child. Got mad and break own toys and would then look surprised. No gradual waking or relaxing for bed schedule. He was up when up/asleep when ready for bed. He would lay down in the hallway on the way to bed and be asleep.Diagnosed with ADHD and had some success with various meds but never really succeeded. Difficulty in school. 98% on science & math standard tests but difficulty with language skills and papers. Didn't finish high school but got GED, after 2 years not in school and no studying, with 98% again in math & science, passing on language. Not very social outside small circle of old friends. Still has inappropriate emotional/social responses. Has always had hard time adjusting to any change in schedules. Very literal. I have to be careful using idioms, even now. Very black & white. Sees injustice and can't understand the gray areas. Never lost language but withdraws easily. Uses his words to cut off conversations. Like, "I'm through talking." Could he be undiagnosed autistic spectrum?

Answer
Hi there, Liz!

Unfortunately, I am not a doctor. I cannot make any diagnoses for your child, and would not even wish to try without some sort of observation. It is obvious that you have done some reading (or at least found information) on the subject and have the symptoms in mind, so to be quite honest, your own view of whether things are 'red flags' are probably much more sharp than my own are.

What I would suggest is that if you are genuinely concerned, which it's obvious that you are (and understandably so), you bring him to an individual who is more versed in the ASDs and bring the problem up with them. At 19 years old, I suggest that you check around for 'adult autism'; he may not be an adult completely, but at 19, he would likely be considered under the 'adult' version of therapy and treatment, as opposed to the childhood.

I wish I could give you something more solid, but I certainly would not wish to make any black or white comments and end up being wrong, to the detriment of yourself and your son. An expert, however, as opposed to an AllExpert, would be a big help in discerning exactly what to do about the issues, and to hopefully get a ball rolling if that's what the two of you wish.

Questions, comments, feedback, follow-ups? Send them this way!

Trey